How much revenue is your multi-location healthcare group losing to missed calls? Use this calculator to find out. Enter your practice details below and see the real financial impact—including what it means for your EBITDA and practice valuation. According to CallRail’s 2025 data, healthcare misses 32% of inbound calls—the highest of any industry. Most groups discover they’re losing 5-15% of potential revenue they never knew was at risk.
Calculate Your Revenue Leak
Your Estimated Annual Revenue Loss
*Based on Year 1 patient value by specialty and 25% EBITDA flow-through
How We Calculate Your Revenue Loss
This calculator uses industry-validated metrics from healthcare practices across the United States. Here’s the methodology behind the numbers.
The Formula
Annual Revenue Lost = Daily Calls x Locations x Missed Rate x New Patient % x Conversion Rate x Patient LTV x 250 days
Specialty-Specific Values
We use conservative Year 1 patient values based on published industry research:
| Specialty | Year 1 Patient Value | Call-to-Appointment Conversion | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental | $1,200 | 65% | Delmain |
| Optometry | $800 | 70% | Review of Optometric Business |
| Ophthalmology | $1,500 | 60% | Industry average for surgical specialty |
| Veterinary | $2,000 | 55% | iVET360 2025 Report |
| Other Healthcare | $1,000 | 60% | Industry average |
Note: These are conservative Year 1 estimates only. Full patient lifetime values are significantly higher—dental practices report LTVs of $4,200-$7,500, optometry $4,000 over 10 years, ophthalmology $5,000-$10,000 with surgical procedures, and veterinary $15,000 per client.
EBITDA and Valuation Assumptions
- EBITDA Flow-Through: 25% of recovered revenue flows to EBITDA (accounting for variable costs)
- Valuation Multiple: 8x EBITDA (mid-point of 6-12x range for healthcare group acquisitions)
Understanding Your Results
Here’s what each metric means for your organization:
Daily Missed Calls: The total number of calls going unanswered across all your locations every business day. According to Keona Health, the average healthcare practice misses 29% of calls—with dental practices missing up to 42% during peak hours.
Monthly Lost Opportunities: The number of potential new patient inquiries that never get answered. These are people who picked up the phone specifically to become your patient.
Annual Revenue Lost: This is the conservative estimate of revenue walking out the door. It only counts new patient lifetime value—it doesn’t include the marketing dollars wasted acquiring leads you never spoke to.
5-Year Compounded Loss: Revenue compounds. The patients you lose this year don’t refer their friends. They don’t come back for follow-up care. This number shows the true long-term cost.
EBITDA Impact: For PE-backed groups and owners considering a transaction, this is the number that matters. Every dollar of EBITDA you’re losing translates directly to enterprise value.
Valuation Impact: At an 8x multiple, your EBITDA loss multiplies into a significant reduction in what your group is worth. A $500,000 EBITDA leak costs you $4 million in valuation.
Benchmarks: How Do You Compare?
Answer Rate Benchmarks
| Performance Level | Answer Rate | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Elite | 95%+ | Top 10% of multi-location groups |
| Good | 85-94% | Above average, room for improvement |
| Average | 70-84% | Industry standard, significant leak |
| Below Average | Less than 70% | Critical revenue loss |
According to CloudTalk, top-performing healthcare call centers achieve 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds. The average healthcare practice falls far short of this benchmark.
By Specialty
- Dental DSOs: Average 60-70% answer rate during peak hours
- Optometry Groups: Average 75-80% answer rate
- Veterinary Groups: Average 70-75% (challenged by emergency call volume)
Hidden Costs Not Included in This Calculation
The calculator shows direct revenue loss from missed new patients. The actual cost is higher.
Marketing Waste
If you’re spending $50,000/month on marketing and missing 30% of resulting calls, you’re wasting $15,000 monthly—$180,000 annually—on leads you never spoke to. Keona Health cites Invoca data indicating that large healthcare systems waste up to $383,827 per month in marketing spend from unanswered calls.
Staff Burnout and Turnover
Front desk staff choosing between ringing phones and patients standing in front of them experience constant stress. According to MGMA workforce data, this contributes to 30-40% annual turnover in healthcare front desk positions. Each turnover costs $15,000-$25,000 in recruiting, training, and lost productivity.
Reputation Damage
According to Keona Health research, 85% of callers won’t try calling back after an unanswered attempt. Patient10x reports that 67% of healthcare consumers will call a competitor if not answered quickly. Every missed call is a patient who may tell friends about their frustrating experience.
Data Blind Spots
Without call analytics, you’re making staffing decisions, marketing allocations, and expansion plans without fundamental data about patient demand.
What Top-Performing Groups Do Differently
Healthcare groups achieving 95%+ answer rates share common characteristics:
1. Centralized Overflow Handling
Rather than expecting each location to handle peak volume independently, they route overflow to a centralized team that can schedule across all locations.
2. Real-Time Visibility
Leaders see current answer rates, calls in queue, and staff availability across the organization—at any moment.
3. After-Hours Coverage
Instead of voicemail, callers reach trained representatives who can schedule appointments and triage urgent situations. Industry data shows 20-40% of healthcare calls occur outside standard business hours.
4. Staffing Aligned to Call Patterns
If Monday 9-11am generates 3x the call volume of Thursday afternoon, staffing reflects that reality.
5. Technology Integration
Phone systems integrated with practice management software enable screen pops, one-click scheduling, and automatic call logging.
Next Steps: From Data to Action
Now that you know the cost, here’s what to do about it.
Immediate Actions
- Get your actual data: Pull call reports for the last 90 days and calculate your real missed call rate
- Identify peak problem times: When are calls going unanswered?
- Calculate your specific cost: Use your actual numbers in this calculator
Strategic Solutions
For groups serious about closing the revenue leak:
- Overflow call handling ensures no call goes unanswered during peak times
- After-hours coverage captures the 20-40% of calls outside business hours
- Real-time dashboards provide visibility to fix problems before they cost revenue
- Integrated scheduling lets trained representatives book across all locations
Key Takeaways
- Multi-location healthcare groups lose 5-15% of potential revenue to missed calls
- Healthcare misses 32% of inbound calls—the highest of any industry
- 85% of callers won’t call back after an unanswered attempt
- Top-performing groups maintain 95%+ answer rates with proper systems
- For PE-backed groups, recovered revenue adds 6-12x to enterprise value through EBITDA multiples
- The solution isn’t hiring more staff—it’s implementing systematic overflow and after-hours coverage
Stop the Revenue Leak
Schedule a free consultation to see exactly how much revenue your multi-location group is losing—and how to recover it within 90 days.
Get Your Free Revenue Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this calculator?
This calculator uses industry-standard metrics from healthcare practices nationwide. Your actual numbers may vary based on your specific call volume, patient demographics, and service mix. For a precise analysis, we recommend pulling your actual call data and scheduling a revenue assessment.
What if I don’t know my missed call rate?
The industry average for healthcare practices is 29-32%, with dental practices averaging 35-42% during peak hours. If you don’t have call tracking data, start with 30% as a reasonable estimate—then invest in call analytics to get your real numbers.
Are these lifetime values realistic?
Yes. These are conservative estimates based on published industry research. Dental LTV of $1,200 assumes basic care only. Actual LTV for patients who accept treatment plans can be $4,200-$7,500. Veterinary LTV can reach $15,000 per client according to iVET360’s 2025 benchmark report.
How does this affect my practice valuation?
For PE-backed groups, EBITDA is the primary valuation metric. Every dollar of recovered revenue flows 20-30% to EBITDA, which then multiplies by 6-12x in valuation. A $1M revenue recovery can add $1.5-3M to enterprise value.
What’s the fastest way to improve my answer rate?
Centralized overflow handling provides the fastest improvement. By routing calls that would otherwise go unanswered to a trained team, groups typically see 15-25 percentage point improvement in answer rates within the first 30 days, based on MyBCAT client results.
Does MyBCAT integrate with my PM system?
MyBCAT integrates with all major practice management systems including Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Compulink, Crystal PM, Cornerstone, and others. This enables real-time scheduling and patient record access.
Related Resources
- The $1.2M Leak: How Multi-Location Healthcare Groups Lose Revenue to Missed Calls – Full breakdown of the missed call problem
- Multi-Location Healthcare Intake Solutions: The Complete Guide – Comprehensive framework for evaluating intake solutions
Last Updated: December 2025
Sources: CallRail Healthcare Marketing 2025, Keona Health, Dialog Health, Delmain Dental LTV, Review of Optometric Business, iVET360 2025 Benchmark Report, Focus Bankers Dental Valuation
Need help managing your practice’s calls and scheduling? Book a discovery call to learn how MyBCAT can help.
